Crowlands farmer Perry Richards lodged an application with Pyrenees Shire Council on June 30 last year to develop the land, located on Glendu Road, into a feedlot.

The application outlined that around 10,000 lot-fed lambs would be kept on the site, which is located in a gully on the Glendu creek line.

Effluent runoff from the pens would be captured within two holding ponds which were to be built within the waterway.

The application came before council at its December meeting and was rejected on the grounds that the location chosen for the feedlot and its associated effluent treatment ponds would endanger nearby waterways.

In considering the application, council declared the proposal failed to meet five clauses within the Pyrenees Planning Scheme.

Mr Richards said the outcome was disappointing.

``The whole thing was tied up between Wimmera CMA and GWMWater for almost a year,'' Mr Richards said.

``Neither one would accept responsibility.''

Mr Richards said the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority told him in the early stages of planning the feedlot that the development did not fall under their responsibility and directed him to GWMWater.

``GWMWater gave us a letter saying they had no objections to us putting in two dams in the gully to catch the (effluent) runoff,'' Mr Richards said.

With this in mind, consultants drafted up plans, which were then submitted to Pyrenees Shire Council.

The application received three objections; two from neighbouring properties and one from the Wimmera CMA.

Mr Richards said council advised him to identify another site on the property which might be suitable for the proposed feedlot.

``I can identify another site but they can still knock me back,'' Mr Richards said.

``I could take them to VCAT and contest it but that's only going to drag the whole process out.''

Mr Richards estimated he has already spent around $130,000 on the feedlot development, injecting $80,000 into the site itself and spending around $50,000 on consultants and other associated costs.